


Touch

by august_anon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Hot Chocolate, M/M, Tickling, Touch-Starved, Touching, also rated T for a Single Swear lol, also there's a lot of plot and build up for this being a tickle fic, lee!Taako, ler!kravitz, subtley i think idk i haven't reread this in weeks i've been hoarding it, ticklish!Taako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/august_anon/pseuds/august_anon
Summary: Touch and Taako have always had an interesting relationship, but it was time he started figuring it out with this new world, since they seemed to be sticking around.Warning: This is a tickle fic!
Relationships: Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 79





	Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey! Very nervous about this because, unlike Sanders Sides, I have not written for TAZ for over 2 years, and I also have not listened to Balance for over a year so I wasn’t sure I nailed their voices. The wonderful, talented, kind, amazing Cef (@cefsticklestoo on tumblr) looked this over for me, though, and she said it was good, so here I go lol.

Touch was an interesting thing for Taako.

For so long, it had just been him and Lup. The Taaco twins against the world. And most days, it truly had felt like the world was against them. They didn’t have an easy childhood or adolescence, but Taako liked to think that’s why he’d survived so long through all the bullshit he’d been through.

Even with the Starblaster crew, the people who became their  _ family _ , people as close to his heart as Lup (and that wasn’t easy to do), touch had not come easily.

They had held their aloof personas, darting out of hugs and away from fond touches with their usual bravado, making a joke of it as they went. Even as Lup and Taako had practically attached themselves to each other at the hip, molding into each other when the other was near, they did not let the rest of the crew touch.

It took quite a few cycles before anyone besides each other was able to lay a hand on them. Of course it was Magnus, the stupid man (more of a child back then, to the two of them with their lifespans and his startling youth) was practically a golden retriever in a human’s body. He was excitable and affectionate and he grew on you like a fungus, getting under your skin and making you fond of him without you even realizing.

Then it was Barry. Then Merle. Lucretia and Davenport were the last to be invited into the physical contact gang, though not for lack of love. They were simply more reserved people, which the twins (and everyone else on the Starblaster) had come to respect, and even endear.

But they were family. It made sense for them all to hang off each other like jungle gyms, touching whenever touch was allowed. It was just the way of the Taaco’s when someone became close to them, became family.

Which was why Taako was so torn with the new people in their lives.

Angus was a whole new can of worms that Taako wasn’t necessarily ready to open, though he really should work on that before it was too late, now that all the world saving was done. The rest of their new friends weren’t as pressing in that matter (except maybe Carey and Killian, possibly Avi, but they seemed fine to give him time to figure himself out for the time being), but he really needed to figure out what he was going to do with that kid, who they were to each other.

But Kravitz. That was his focus right now.

Kravitz, his beautiful Bone Daddy. Kravitz, his whirlwind romance. Kravitz, the one he kissed at the end of the world. Kravitz, the one he was certain he was beginning to fall in love with.

And wasn’t that a terrifying thought? Taako had never  _ been _ in love before, it really wasn’t fair of Kravitz to spring all these feelings on him now.

But Kravitz. The man sitting on his couch at that exact moment, waiting for Taako to bring out the hot cocoa he’d made for them since neither of them had been sleeping well since the almost-end-of-the-world, and were both somewhat stressed with the rapidly approaching wedding of Carey and Killian. (Taako was  _ not  _ ready. Weddings were too mushy. Magnus was going to cry, and if Magnus cried, Taako would cry and have to pretend he wasn’t crying).

Taako took a deep breath and grabbed the mugs, walking out into the sitting area of their room in the BoB (which, it was a little uncomfortable staying there now, he had a lot of things to work out before it became okay again, if it ever would, but he didn’t really have many other places to live at the moment. At least Merle and Magnus were out, currently), setting them both on the coffee table.

Taako moved to sit down near Kravitz. Kravitz lifted his arm in invitation. Taako paused.

There was a standstill for a moment that Taako hoped Kravitz didn’t notice before he made a bold decision and sat down, pressed up against Kravitz from his thigh to his shoulder, and pulled his feet up onto the couch next to him. Kravitz seemed to relax at Taako’s decision and wrapped his arm around him so that his fingers rested against Taako’s side.

And it was nice. Taako didn’t feel like fleeing, he wasn’t scared or nervous (okay, he was a little nervous, but he would never in his life admit that to anyone). The touch didn’t feel  _ wrong _ . In fact, it felt so  _ incredibly  _ right.

So Taako curled further into Kravitz, snatching the mugs off the coffee table to hand one to Kravitz so they could both drink. Thankfully, the hot chocolate had cooled off enough in Taako’s dawdling to drink, a comfortable warmth instead of a burning heat.

Taako thought he was in the clear, that he had managed to hide his hesitance well enough from Kravitz that he didn’t notice, but that proved to be false as they reached the mid-point of emptying their mugs. 

Kravitz interrupted the companionable silence. “Are you not big on cuddling? Or touching? It’s okay if you aren’t, I won’t mind.”

Curse his wonderful undead boyfriend for being so sweet and considerate and actually making Taako want to discuss the issue instead of brushing it all off with a joke as usual.

Taako sighed and set his mug down on the coffee table again, Kravitz leaning forward to follow suit. His hand shifted nervously against Taako’s side, as if he felt like he was overstepping, but he didn’t remove it yet. Taako stared forward at the doorway to Magnus’s room, not looking Kravitz in the eye.

“If you asked Lup,” Taako started, speaking startlingly quietly, “she’d say I was the most cuddly bastard in the world.”

Taako paused, searching for words in a way that felt very not-him. Kravitz remained silent, giving him time to work it out.

“Not sure if the rest of the crew would share that sentiment, but physical affection is definitely not uncommon. It’s just weird. Hard to decide when I trust someone enough to let it happen.”

Taako finally turned to look at Kravitz, something twisting and stirring in his heart at the painfully soft look he was sending him. Taako wanted to look away, put up his haughty facade again as he cuddled up to Kravitz and drank his cocoa and pretended he wasn’t soft on the inside, but something in Kravitz’s eyes kept his gaze there.

“So you trust this, trust  _ me _ , enough to let it happen?” Kravitz asked softly.

Except his words were accompanied by a squeeze to Taako’s side. It was probably meant as comfort or encouragement or affection, but it hit certain  _ pressure points _ far too well, leaving Taako to do his best to cover up a gasp and a jump so high that he practically ended up in Kravitz’s lap.

Wait. He could use that.

Taako quickly readjusted himself to sit in Kravitz’s lap completely, trying to make it look like it was part of the same movement as before. He gave Kravitz one of his flirtatious smiles and turned on the charm, wrapping his arms around Kravitz’s neck.

“I’m in your lap,” Taako teased, “what do  _ you _ think?”

Kravitz let out a startled laugh, wrapping both hands around Taako’s waist to intertwine at the base of his spine. “I guess that proves it, doesn’t it?” He chuckled.

Taako let out a pleased hum and relaxed, preparing to reach for his mug again. Kravitz was warm (which was strange and new, but  _ certainly _ not a bad thing) and so was the hot cocoa, and while Taako didn’t necessarily think he could sleep yet, some more time spent just like that and he might be able to.

“But,” Kravitz said cheekily, “I am  _ very _ interested to know why you vaulted onto my lap so quickly.”

Taako froze, trying to bury down a look that was some mix between panicked and excited. Panicited. 

Kravitz’s hand inched along his back to grip his side once more. “Did it have something to do with  _ this _ ?” He asked, and squeezed once more, this time with purpose.

This time, Taako’s cover-up was not as graceful. He yanked his arms down from around Kravitz’s neck, sticking his elbows tightly to his sides. He used one hand to cover his mouth and the other to start pushing at the hand Kravitz had on his waist as he squirming in Death’s lap.

Kravitz laughed. “Oh, this will be  _ fun _ , I think.”

And suddenly both hands were squeezing up and down Taako’s sides. Not-quite-contained squeaks were muffled by the hand over his mouth, but Taako was determined not to embarrass himself by giggling. Kravitz hummed thoughtfully, quickly pinching his hips and the edges of his stomach before returning to squeezing his sides.

And here’s the thing.

Taako didn’t necessarily  _ mind _ tickling. In fact, at times he could quite enjoy it, both giving and receiving. Pan knows the Starblaster crew had plenty of such “bonding moments,” not to mention he and Lup themselves. But only Lup knew about Taako’s true feelings surrounding the silly, affectionate action. He had an image to keep, after all. If people knew how much he liked it, they’d think he’d gone  _ soft _ (or, worse, realize he had secretly been soft the whole time).

And another thing: when was the last time Taako had  _ laughed _ ? A real, true laugh. Not a laugh concocted perfectly for the situation at hand, carefully faked to sound as natural as possible. Not a barely-there chuckle at Magnus and Merle’s goofs, even still disguised to hide the true sound of it. Not a laugh to mock or be cruel or tease. A  _ real _ laugh.

Truthfully, it was probably back sometime in that century he just regained.

And Taako was nothing if not competitive. He had a  _ record  _ going now, after all. If he hadn’t truly laughed in that long, he should really see how much longer he could keep it up.

But then Kravitz’s hands weaseled under his elbows and started skittering up and down his rib cage and Taako lost it. He forgot how  _ bad  _ that spot was. Lup knew, get Taako’s ribs or thighs and he would agree to just about anything you wanted.

“K-Krav” Taako cried through his laughter, hand flying down from his mouth to try and push the offending hands away.

Kravitz’s hands faltered for a moment, giving Taako a brief moment of respite. He glanced up to see Kravitz staring at him in wonder. 

“What?” He snapped.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard any music ever so beautiful before,” Kravitz whispered in awe, still staring into Taako’s flushed face.

Taako huffed. “Well, don’t get used to it. It’s not going to happen ofte--!”

Taako’s laughter turned to shrieks and cut off his own sentence as Kravitz’s hands started spidering back up his ribs in the middle of his sentence. His fingers had traveled up and slightly back to that  _ awful _ spot, just above the middle of his rib cage, slightly on his back.

Taako couldn’t remember the last time he laughed that hard. Once Kravitz found that little spot that made him cackle and almost  _ scream _ , his fingers abused it in the  _ terrible _ (wonderful) ways they possibly could. They dug in with fingertips, they fluttered with a barely-there touch, they skittered around playfully, they traced with fingernails. Every new technique made the sensations wash over him anew, leaving him in desperate stitches with barely any room to speak.

And Taako realized that he  _ missed _ this. Sure, he’d always had an affinity for it, loved playing around with the people he called family, would occasionally get a craving, but he never thought it was a big part of his life. Evidently, his body (and mind, not that he was admitting that) missed the playful torture more than he thought. Despite the fact that he was desperately running out of air, he wanted Kravitz to continue forever.

But Kravitz did stop soon after that as Taako’s laughter went silent, rubbing comfortingly up and down his torso. Taako faceplanted into Kravitz’s chest as his own heaved for breath, letting out residual giggles with every exhale.

“Ne—Never do that again,” Taako breathed out the lie through his residual giggles, trying to save face.

Kravitz chuckled above him. “Sorry, love.” (And didn’t that just made Taako’s heart flutter in the most embarrassing of ways) “But I don’t necessarily think you mean that.”

Taako sat up with a scowl, “And just what makes you think that, huh?”

Kravitz smiles softly at him. “Well you see, Taako is a man who knows what he wants,  _ and _ what he  _ doesn’t _ . You wouldn’t have let that go on for as long as you did if you actually meant that.” Kravitz’s smile turned cheeky. “Plus, you hardly struggled and never  _ once _ said ‘no’ or ‘stop.’”

Taako sputtered hopelessly, feeling himself blush to the tips of his ears.

“It’s cute,” Kravitz teased, pulling him closer again. “Relax, your little secret is safe with me.”

“It better be,” Taako grumbled, but fell into Kravitz’s embrace without any struggle.

Kravitz held him tightly and hummed, the sound rumbling through Taako where he laid on Kravitz’s chest. He glanced up at Kravitz just as he glanced down at Taako. They both smiled.

“Hey,” Kravitz said.

“Hey,” Taako replied.

“Can I kiss you?”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

Kravitz laughed and leaned in. The kiss was short, but sweet. They hadn’t kissed since that terrible day, the world collapsing around them. At the time, Taako wasn’t sure if he would ever get to do it again.

He was so glad he got to do it again.

When they pulled away, Taako cuddled into Kravitz’s chest, curling up in his lap like a cat and just letting Kravitz hold him, running a hand through his hair and across his back. Within minutes, he was falling asleep.

It was the best sleep he’d had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't reread this for weeks and I'm finally remembering to post it now because I'm having a mental breakdown right now and needed a distraction lol. Hope y'all enjoyed and thanks for reading, leave a comment or kudos if you feel so inclined, and come visit me on tumblr at august-anon!


End file.
